Location filtering using mobile country code

• US 8,504,059 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2010
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Huang, Ronald K., Piemonte, Patrick, Grainger, Morgan, Moore, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): CASCA, FRED A
• Application Number:
  US12/687,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20110176494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/252, 370/29, 375/260, 455/435.2, 455/457, 455/456.1, 455/41.2, 455/357.09, 713/100, 701/408, 701/300, 702/150, 707/705, 707/770, 707/812
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0242 Determining the position of transmitters to be subsequently used in positioning G01S5/0289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02955 by computing a weighted average of the positions of the signal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Methods, program products, and systems for location filtering using mobile country code (MCC) is described. A mobile device can determine its geographic location using locations of access points of a wireless communications network to which the mobile device is connected. The mobile device can wirelessly receive identifiers of one or more access points of the wireless communications network and a current MCC through a cellular network. The mobile device can identify a polygon that is a bounding box of a geographic area that corresponds to the current MCC. The mobile device can select a set of access point locations from a location database using the received identifiers, where the access point locations are inside the identified polygon. The mobile device can determine a current location of the mobile device based on an average location of the selected set of access point locations.

Claims

1. A method executed by a mobile device, comprising:

receiving identifiers of one or more access points of a wireless communications network and a current mobile country code (MCC);

identifying a polygon that is a bounding box of a geographic area that corresponds to the current MCC;

selecting a set of access point locations from a location database using the received identifiers, where the access point locations are inside the identified polygon, wherein selecting the set of access point locations comprises;

identifying an outlier from the access point locations, including identifying an access point the identifier of which is received by the mobile device wherein, according to a location record stored on the mobile device, the location of the access point is located outside of the polygon that corresponds to the current MCC; and

filtering out the outlier from the set of access point locations; and

determining a current location of the mobile device based on an average location of the selected set of access point locations.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing in a geographic database polygons that are bounding boxes of geographic areas identified by mobile country codes; and

storing in the location database on a storage device of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the current location on a map display of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, where the identifiers of the access points include Media Access Control (MAC) addresses of the access points.

5. The method of claim 1, where the polygon is defined by latitude and longitude coordinates of points of the geographic area.

6. The method of claim 1, where the geographic area further corresponds to a time zone.

7. The method of claim 1, where determining the current location comprises:

calculating an average geographic location using the set of access point locations;

calculating distances between the average geographic location and access point locations in the set;

excluding at least one access point location from the set based on a distance between the average geographic location and the at least one location;

repeating the operations of calculating an average geographic location, calculating distances, and excluding at least one access point location until an exit condition is satisfied; and

designating a current location of the mobile device using a circle having the average geographic location as a center and a radius based on at least one calculated distance.

8. The method of claim 7, where the exit condition is satisfied when a number of repetitions reaches a threshold number.

9. The method of claim 7, where the exit condition is satisfied when the radius of the circle reaches below a threshold radius.

10. The method of claim 7, where each of the locations in the set includes a latitude, and a longitude.

11. A system, comprising:

a mobile device configured to perform operations comprising;

receiving identifiers of one or more access points of a wireless communications network and a current mobile country code (MCC);

identifying a polygon that is a bounding box of a geographic area that corresponds to the current MCC;

selecting a set of access point locations from a location database using the received identifiers, where the access point locations are inside the identified polygon, wherein selecting the set of access point locations comprises;

identifying an outlier from the access point locations, including identifying an access point the identifier of which is received by the mobile device wherein, according to a location record stored on the mobile device, the location of the access point is located outside of the polygon that corresponds to the current MCC; and

filtering out the outlier from the set of access point locations; and

determining a current location of the mobile device based on an average location of the selected set of access point locations.

12. The system of claim 11, the operations further comprising:

storing in a geographic database polygons that are bounding boxes of geographic areas identified by mobile country codes; and

storing in the location database on a storage device of the mobile device.

13. The system of claim 11, the operations further comprising:

displaying the current location on a map display of the mobile device.

14. The system of claim 11, where the identifiers of the access points include Media Access Control (MAC) addresses of the access points.

15. The system of claim 11, where the polygon is defined by latitude and longitude coordinates of points of the geographic area.

16. The system of claim 11, where the geographic area further corresponds to a time zone.

17. The system of claim 11, where determining the current location comprises:

calculating an average geographic location using the set of access point locations;

calculating distances between the average geographic location and access point locations in the set;

excluding at least one access point location from the set based on a distance between the average geographic location and the at least one location;

repeating the operations of calculating an average geographic location, calculating distances, and excluding at least one access point location until an exit condition is satisfied; and

designating a current location of the mobile device using a circle having the average geographic location as a center and a radius based on at least one calculated distance.

18. The system of claim 17, where the exit condition is satisfied when a number of repetitions reaches a threshold number.

19. The system of claim 17, where the exit condition is satisfied when the radius of the circle reaches below a threshold radius.

20. The system of claim 17, where each of the locations in the set includes a latitude, and a longitude.

21. A computer program product tangibly stored on a storage device, operable to cause a mobile device to perform operations comprising:

receiving identifiers of one or more access points of a wireless communications network and a current mobile country code (MCC);

identifying a polygon that is a bounding box of a geographic area that corresponds to the current MCC;

selecting a set of access point locations from a location database using the received identifiers, where the access point locations are inside the identified polygon, wherein selecting the set of access point locations comprises;

identifying an outlier from the access point locations, including identifying an access point the identifier of which is received by the mobile device wherein, according to a location record stored on the mobile device, the location of the access point is located outside of the polygon that corresponds to the current MCC; and

filtering out the outlier from the set of access point locations; and

determining a current location of the mobile device based on an average location of the selected set of access point locations.

22. The product of claim 21, the operations further comprising:

storing in a geographic database polygons that are bounding boxes of geographic areas identified by mobile country codes; and

storing in the location database on a storage device of the mobile device.

23. The product of claim 21, the operations further comprising:

displaying the current location on a map display of the mobile device.

24. The product of claim 21, where the identifiers of the access points include Media Access Control (MAC) addresses of the access points.

25. The product of claim 21, where the polygon is defined by latitude and longitude coordinates of points of the geographic area.

26. The product of claim 21, where the geographic area further corresponds to a time zone.

27. The product of claim 21, where determining the current location comprises:

calculating an average geographic location using the set of access point locations;

calculating distances between the average geographic location and access point locations in the set;

excluding at least one access point location from the set based on a distance between the average geographic location and the at least one location;

repeating the operations of calculating an average geographic location, calculating distances, and excluding at least one access point location until an exit condition is satisfied; and

designating a current location of the mobile device using a circle having the average geographic location as a center and a radius based on at least one calculated distance.

28. The product of claim 27, where the exit condition is satisfied when a number of repetitions reaches a threshold number.

29. The product of claim 27, where the exit condition is satisfied when the radius of the circle reaches below a threshold radius.

30. The product of claim 27, where each of the locations in the set includes a latitude, and a longitude.